Artistic Director, Producer and Founder of Kelowna Actor’s Studio, Randy Leslie directly impacts some 20,000 lives a year. Seven years ago, Leslie came up with the idea of creating a local theatre company that produces its own shows. While most theatre companies rely heavily on government funding, Leslie set out to do it the old fashioned way – through ticket sales and by offering acting classes.

Even with the current economic downturn, Leslie managed to produce six mainstage shows that ran four weeks each in 2009, with more than 20,000 tickets sold.

Some of his acting students have been accepted to Juliard and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and his nurturing as a director has instilled confidence in dozens of new actors, encouraging people of all ages to get involved either behind the scenes or on stage.